When Sony sold off its PC business line to an investment fund back in February, VAIO was then spun off as an independent company. The company continued to release devices, minus the Sony branding, but they were only exclusive to the Japanese market. However, in a recent report by the Wall Street Journal, it looks like the company is now looking to expand its market, and has chosen the United States and Brazil for their next destinations.
VAIO chief executive officer Yoshimi Ota, shared that during Sony"s era, VAIO had concentrated on market share over profitability, and that today, they are trying to reverse that. "We are not interested in cheap models for everyone," Ota told the WSJ. They now aim to focus on specialized markets, more specifically, consumers in the creative industry like designers and photographers, as well as those using a Mac.
With this in consideration, the company has unveiled its first product for the U.S., the VAIO Z Canvas. The device has a 12.3-inch display, with 2560x1704 screen resolution. It is powered by an Intel Core i7-4770HQ processor, and 16 GB of RAM, accompanied by 256 GB of internal storage. The gigantic tablet also comes with a detachable keyboard. The Z Canvas" price will start at $2,199, and will be available on Microsoft stores, as well as via VAIO"s U.S. website by the 5th of October. Pre-orders will begin in the U.S. sometime in September. Regarding VAIO"s other new market, Brazil, sales will be done in partnership with Positivo Informatica, which will make the PC"s themselves.
Despite the current trend of the PC industry consistently seeing a slump in sales, Ota is confident with the expansion, and predicts that the company will record an operating profit by the end of the year. He even foresees an initial public offering to another company in two years time. Ota names Microsoft and Apple as potential buyers, and even lists its former owner Sony along the way.
Source: The Wall Street Journal via The Verge | Image via VAIO